The Ceremonial of an Occasion: Royal Speeches and the Cortes

Abstract

This chapter examines the ceremonies and organisation of the cortes in medieval Aragon and how these could be used to great political effect. It returns to the three images mentioned earlier: King Jaime I pictured as the elder statesman, dressed in his royal robes, presiding over his cortes; King Pedro IV, first as vicarius Dei, seated by the high altar of Barcelona cathedral, an intermediary between God and his people; second as a warrior-king, enthroned in the great hall of the Palau Maior amongst his ancestors and vassals. On such occasions the kings of Aragon would address their subjects proprio ore. The style and content of these speeches were chosen for maximum impact, transmitting a coherent vision of kingship and state in the Crown of Aragon. Set in this context, however, the royal speech also constituted the culmination of a great spectacle designed to convey a powerful political message to its audience in strikingly visual terms.